Media Release

Hawaiʻi Island police have initiated a public accident case in connection with a shark attack Tuesday afternoon in waters off a Kona beach.

A 29-year-old Kailua-Kona man was swimming about 100 feet off shore shortly before 1 p.m. when he spotted a shark in waters off Kekaha Kai State Park, also known as Kona Coast State Park. As the man was swimming to shore, the shark bit him on the right thigh and right calf and then released him. The swimmer made it to shore, where a Fire Department helicopter took him to Kona Community Hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life threatening.

A 12-14-foot tiger shark was sighted in the area shortly after the attack. The park was closed to the public until further notice.